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Minister Abba Eban has stated that
"on the question of Jerusalem and
the holy places ... the principie of
international control must be main–
tained."
The Arabs probably can go along
with joint administration of Jerusa–
lem's holy places by Jordan and the
Vatican and still not have to recog–
nize Israelí control over the city.
Such joint administration would
benefit both the Moslems and
Christian Arabs.
Also, it could reasonably be con–
strued as weakening the Israelí hold
on Jerusalem. The presence of the
Catholic Church in Jerusalem
would tend to underscore the Arab
position that Jerusalem is not an ex–
clusively Jewish city. Furthermore, a
broad segment of "world opinion"
- inftuentialleaders - and much of
the news media in the Western
larly the Roman Catholic Church,
gets more jittery about the safety of
Christian holy places in Jerusalem.
Early in the life of modero Israel,
the
V~tican
issued papal encyclicals
saying that the status of Jerusalem
must ensure the safety and protec–
tion of the holy places.
Direct Vatican administration of
religious sites in Jerusalem can be a
highly visible step toward a Mideast
settlement - a step which does not
necessarily trample on the interests
of either Arab or Israelí. I t would
provide the symbolíc presence of a
religious power, as well as a repre–
sentation of the outside world's in–
terest.
Rome, significantly, was the first
stop of U.S. Assistant Secretary of
State Joseph Siseo, after a recent
Middle Eastern tou r. Having
worked with Henry Kissinger in ar-
A Roman Catholic administration of Jerusalem's
Christian holy places would be much more than a
mere caretaker operation. lt would represent the
symbolic introduction of a third party into the Middle
East and would promise sorne of the same results
as a superpower-imposed solution but with none
of the trappings of Soviet involvement.
~··
world supports an
international
Holy City. They point out that only
East Jerusalem and the "Old City,"
where the holy places are located,
would be internationalized. West Je–
rusalem, or the "New City," would
remain under Israelí control.
Enter the Vatican
The Roman Catholic Church is
the world's single largest religious
organization. Because of its in–
fiuence and its extensive diplomatic
contacts, it is a natural candidate to
administer and protect Jerusalem's ·
· Christian holy places.
During last October's war, the
ll
Populo
of Rome quoted "Christian
quarters" in Jerusalem as having
stressed the importance of "the pro–
posa! to internationalize the holy
places." With each succeeding con–
ftict, the Christian world, particu-
30
ranging the cease-fire of last No–
vember, Mr. Siseo left the Middle
East to consult with the nations of
Western Europe. Pope Paul 's for–
eign minister, Agostino Casaroli,
was one of the first Europeans with
whom he met.
Furthermore, the Vatican main–
tains good diploma tic relations with
eight Arab states. Vatican-Arab re–
lations have been relatively good
"since the crusades." lts diplomatic
hand with the Arabs has been forti–
fied by pointedly avoiding formal
relations with Israel. Furthermore,
Rome does not acknowledge a Jew–
ish "special relationship" with the
land of Palestine.
Last year, after Israelí Prime Min–
ister Golda Meir visited Pope Paul
VI, the Vatican issued a statement
that the papal audience was not a
"preferential gesture" and did not
mean any change in Rome's posi–
tion concerning the Holy Land.
Clearly, Rome has kept itself free
to have a strong hand in its relations
with the Arabs.
And that may also be what Israel
needs. Israel finds herself increas–
ingly isolated in world geopolítics.
It
often seems that she has only the
United States and a few other reluc–
tant nations behind her. By inviting
a Vatican administration of Chris–
tian holy places, Israel could be put–
ting her best d i p lomatic foot
forward in a bid to neu tralize the
European "tilt" toward the Arabs.
Also, the gesture could very well
in–
ftuence the whole Christian world to
take a beneficent view of the Israelí
position. Most Israelis fee l Israel
needs all the friends she can get.
A Victory for Rome
The Catholic Church has impor–
tant stakes in the Mideast. It has
over 210 churches and chapels, 54
schools, six hospitals and severa! or–
phanages and pilgrim hospices in
Israel alone. Her Franciscan monks
have been traditional custodians of
many of Israers Christian holy
places. Those sites are sorne of the
most sacréd places of worship
in
all
of Christendom. Wars have been
fought over them. The Vatican is
the protector and strongly feels re–
sponsible.
The conservative Catholic maga–
zine,
Triumph,
stated in its Novem–
ber 1973 issue, ".. . a Christian
sensibility dictates preference for a
papal protectorate over that ancient
land ....
It
is sometimes forgotten
that what God
wills
-
in Pope Ur–
ban II 's splendid phrase at the time
of the First Crusade- is that Chris–
tian men intervene to make peace in
the Holy Land, to make it safe for
Christian pilgrims."
Other forces also impel the Vati–
can toward a Middle East presence.
The Catholic Church is badly be–
sieged by interna! forces of dissen–
sion.
lt
also needs the prestige and
respect that a Middle Eastern pres–
ence would facilitate.
Since the Church feels respon-
PLAIN TRUTH May 1974